Consortium sues Google, Samsung and more

The Rockstar Consortium (dreadful name) that bought Nortel Networks' patents, filed a lawsuit this week regarding patent infringements against Google, Samsung, HTC and five other companies.

The patents, all called "Associative Search Engine," relate to an invention which was used to provide advertisements based on users' search terms and, backed by Microsoft, Apple, RIM, Ericsson and Sony, Rockstar acquired Nortel's patents for $4.5 billion after outbidding Google in 2011.

Google was aware of the patents-in-suit and Rockstar said: "Despite losing in its attempt to acquire the patents-in-suit at auction, Google has infringed and continues to infringe the patents-in-suit."

What's so heavy handed about this particular complaint is that the consortium is asking for damaged, future and past. Rockstar are also filing another complaint against Samsung Electronics for infringement of seven other patents, including one relating to a "Navigation Tool for Graphical User Interface" and others. Rockstar has also sued HTC for alleged infringement of the same seven patents that figure in the complaint against Samsung.

Looks like someone is about to make a hell of a lot of money from all this... and that'd be lawyers. The rest of the companies are looking a bit like ambulance chasers, suing over vague terms around ideas that everyone will have had.